Investors Purchase High Volume of Shell Call Options (NYSE:SHEL)
by Renee Jackson · The Cerbat GemShell PLC Unsponsored ADR (NYSE:SHEL – Get Free Report) was the recipient of some unusual options trading on Friday. Stock traders acquired 27,851 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 235% compared to the average daily volume of 8,313 call options.
Shell Price Performance
Shares of NYSE SHEL traded up $1.96 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $75.44. The stock had a trading volume of 4,275,447 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,340,247. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. Shell has a 1 year low of $58.54 and a 1 year high of $77.47. The company has a market capitalization of $216.89 billion, a PE ratio of 15.46, a P/E/G ratio of 3.44 and a beta of 0.16. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $73.86 and a 200-day simple moving average of $72.71.
Shell (NYSE:SHEL – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The energy company reported $1.86 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.72 by $0.14. Shell had a net margin of 5.34% and a return on equity of 10.49%. The firm had revenue of $68.15 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.50 billion. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Shell will post 7.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Shell Dividend Announcement
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 18th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 14th were given a dividend of $0.716 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 14th. This represents a $2.86 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.8%. Shell’s payout ratio is currently 58.61%.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Argent Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of Shell by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter. Argent Advisors Inc. now owns 4,717 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $337,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. First PREMIER Bank grew its position in shares of Shell by 6.1% in the third quarter. First PREMIER Bank now owns 2,653 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $190,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares during the period. Salomon & Ludwin LLC lifted its position in Shell by 50.5% during the second quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 480 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 161 shares during the period. Seven Mile Advisory grew its holdings in Shell by 3.3% in the 2nd quarter. Seven Mile Advisory now owns 5,572 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $392,000 after buying an additional 176 shares during the period. Finally, Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC grew its stake in shares of Shell by 2.3% during the 2nd quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 7,933 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $559,000 after buying an additional 177 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 28.60% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Ratings Changes
SHEL has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. UBS Group downgraded shares of Shell from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. Scotiabank reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Shell in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. Citigroup reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Shell in a report on Monday, November 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on Shell in a research note on Friday, October 17th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $76.00 target price for the company. Finally, Piper Sandler upped their target price on Shell from $87.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, November 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $79.91.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on SHEL
About Shell
Shell plc (NYSE: SHEL) is a global integrated energy company that operates across the full oil and gas value chain as well as in developing lower-carbon energy solutions. The company traces its roots to the early 20th century merger of Royal Dutch Petroleum and Shell Transport and Trading, and today it is organized to explore for and produce hydrocarbons, process and refine them, manufacture petrochemicals, and market fuel, lubricants and related products under the Shell brand around the world.
Shell’s principal activities include upstream exploration and production of oil and natural gas, integrated gas operations including liquefied natural gas (LNG), and downstream refining, supply and marketing.